Nanabosho is fed Meat from the Back of a Woman

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Aaniish, a’yiindaawag imaa anishinaabeg, Nenabosho oniijaanisa niizhiwa wiiwan gaye.

Mii sa imaa babiboonishiwaad, aaniish inaa, nawaj igo gaawiin gegoo ona’enimosiin.

Aaniish, mii sa zhigwa ji-biboonini, mii sa gaawiin wiikaa naa obiidoosiin gegoo.

Aaniish mii sa bakadewaad.

Ningoding igo, babaamosed, anishinaabe ezhi-odisaad; niizhiwa abinoojiiya abiwan iiniw ininiwan.


Aaniish, mii sa ekidonid: “Aaniin dash naa, giige-aasiwang a’aw gipiiwideminaan,” odinaan wiiwan.

Aaniish, shkwaandeng naasamabiwan iiniw ikwewan.


Ezhi-oo-nagoodakikwenid.

Aaniish, ezhi-giiniboodoonid omookomaanini, mashkimodekewan iiniw wiiwini.

Mii sa gaa-giizhiboodoonid i’iw omookomaanini.

Obiminanaadabiidawaanini iiniw wiiwini.

Ezhi-gidashkaakonamawaad iiniw wiiwan odanikamaanini,(1) ezhi-midawaganebinaad; ezhi-pezhishwaad* nawaawigan; mii sa ezhi-pakweninweshwaad; gaawiin ganage maadabisiiwan iiniw ikwewan.

Mii sa gaa-izhi-pishagaawiganeshwaad iiniw wiiwini, ezhi-poodaakwewaanid i’imaa akikong.

Akakanzhe ezhi-oodaapinaminid, ezhi-sinigonnamawaanid i’imaa obikwanaaning.

Ezhi-sagaakowaad miinawaa.

Mii sa gaawiin ganage gii-maadabisiiwan iiniw ikwewan.

Zhigwa giizhisekwewan, “Aaniish, mii sa iw ezhi-wiisiniiyamban,” inaa Nenabosho.

Mii dash geget ezhi-wiisinid, pane go gaa-niishkininodenig mii sa ezhi-wiisinid.

Gomaa minik shkwanjige Nenabosho.

“Mii iw izhi-kiiwewida giniijaanisag naa minik eshkwanjigeyan.” 

Mii sa zhigwa wii-giiwe.

“Awegwenigish?” gii-inendam.

Mii nangwana omashkoosoon gaa-odisaad.

Aaniish mii sa zhigwa gii-kikenimaad eyaawinid.

Zhigwa wii-giiwe, ezhi-aabawaad i’iw ogiizhoodebizona i’iw waaboozowayaana; ezhi-shengwaandaginaad i’iw ogiizhoodewona ezhi-saaga’ang.

Gomaapii eni-ayaad, ozaagijinisha’ogoo i’iw abinoojiinya.

Mii dash ezhi-piibaagid “Aay!” ikido; “gii-waniike gigiizhoode’onag!”

“Nindooshimag oga-biinaawa,” odinaa.

Mii sa geget waabamimaawaad abinid.

 “Waasa go ojiwebinamawik.

Gaawiin giiga-pasemigosiiwa.”

 Mii dash geget waasa go waa-onji-webinamaago i’iw abinoojiiga (abinoojiinya?).

“Ish!” odinaa; “gaawonaagonewebinaawaag,” odinaa.


“Bi-miishiyokiko!” odinaa.

Aaniish mii sa geget ewishimiinigod, mii dash enishimaajiiba’idinid.


Aaniish, ogii-inaa aw awedi weniijaanisid: “Waasa go onji-webinamawik, gaawiin giiga-basemigosiiwaa.”


Mii dash geget aanawi-doodaminid, aaniish ogii-onjii-aanidish.

Mii dash gaa-inaad apii gaa-miinigod: “Ambe sa noo, waabang koosiwaa dabiizhaa,” ogii-inaa.


Mii sa gaa-izhi-kiiweba’idiwaad iigiw gwiiwisensag, ezhi-wiindamawaawaad oniigi’igowaa ekidonid Nenaboshoowan: “Gebakademwaasa giinawaa!” odinaa i’iw oniigii’igowa iigiw gwiiwisensag.

Mii sa ekidod inini: “Aanishinaa, ninga-izhaa,” ikido.

Zhigwa sa ani-dagwishin endaawaad.

Aaniish obiidawaa oniijaanisa i’iw gaa-ashaminid. 


Zhigwa oganoonaan iiniw wiiwan: “Gaawiin sa naa wiikaa ji-omashkimodekeyan?” odinaan iiniw wiiwan.

“Indashkaa miinawaa awiya gii-waabamaagwen i’iw ezhichigenid,” odigoon iiniw wiiwan.

“Awawa izhichigen!” odinaan.

Mii sa geget ezhi-mashkimodeked wayaabaninig a’aw ikwe.

Aaniish abi a’aw Nenabosho, obii’aan.


Zhigwa sa bi-giigidoowa oniijaanisa: “Nashke giniin, zhigwa biiwide!” odigoo.

Aaniish mii sa ezhi-piindigaagowaad iiniw biiwiden. 

Mii sa namadabinid.

“Wegonena gegii-ge’ang a’aw biiwide?” odinaan iiniw wiiwan.

“Wegonen dash i’iw eyaayan?” odigoon iiniw wiiwan.

Aaniish maajiboodoon omookomaan.

Zhoozhamiingweniwan obiiwideman.

Mii zhigwa gii-oo-nagoodakikwed.

Aaniish zhigwa ogiigidiz gaa-gonamawaan odanikamaanini iiniw wiiwan, ezhi-nitaawaganebinaad iiniw wiiwan; ezhi-pezhishwaad imaa bikwanaaning.

Aaniish inaa, “Igoo!” odigoon.

Zhooshamiingweniwan iiniw obiiwideman.

Daga shkomaa, Nenabosho,” odigoon.

Aaniish, mii sa ezhi-ando-damaagod i’iw mookomaan, mii dash egod: “Daga, Nenabosho!” odigoon.

“Agashkomaa, Nenabosho!” odigoon.

Ezhi-miinaad i’iw mookomaan, ezhi-peshaawaganeshomind iiniw wiiwan, mii sa gaawiin ganage maadabisiiwan.

Bakwadishomind iiniw wiininoon.

Zhigwa ogii-pakwadishwaanini, “Aaw, Nenabosho, mii iw ezhi-jiibaakwen,” odigoon.

Ezhi-odaapinaminid i’iw akakanzhe ezhi-sinagwanaminid i’imaa bikwanaaning iiniw wiiwan.

Zhigwa sa basigwiiwan, “Mii iw, Nenabosho, da-izhi-wiisiniwag giniijaanisag,” odigoowaan. 

Mii sa geget apane mii sa gaa-ani-maajaanid iiniw biiwidemiwaan.

Mii sa zhigwa wiisiniwaad.

Now, abiding at the place were some people, the two children of Nenabosho and his wife.

And so there, where they passed the winter, why, hardly any food had they in store.

Well, it was now far into the winter, and never a single thing did he fetch home.

Naturally, therefore, they grew hungry.

And once, when walking about, to where some people were he came; there were two children, (and) at home was the man.

So, therefore, said (the man): “Why, let us feed our visitor,” (thus) he said to his wife.

Now, with her face towards the door was the woman seated.

Then she placed her kettle hanging from a hook.

Now, while (the man) was sharpening his knife, his wife was weaving a bag.

And when he had finished sharpening his knife, he moved over to sit next to his wife.

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Then, unfastening his wife’s shoulder-straps, he exposed her at the back; he then sliced her down the middle of the back with a knife; and he then sliced away a piece of fat from her; not a whit did his wife budge.

And so, when he had sliced a piece from the back of his wife, she then put it into the kettle to boil.

Picking up some charcoal, he then rubbed it on her back.(2)

Then he fastened her garment on again.

And not a whit had his wife moved.

So when she had finished with the cooking, “Well, you may now as well eat,” was told Nenabosho.

Thereupon truly did Nenabosho eat, forthwith after the fat was boiled was when he ate.

A certain part of it Nenabosho refrained from eating.

“That much which you saved do you take to your children.”

Therefore now was he on the point of going back home.

“Who in the world (is it)?” he thought.

Now, it happened to be the elk whom he had visited.

So then at last he found out who it was.

As he was about setting out for home, he untied his mittens of rabbit-fur; then, putting his mittens in the balsam boughs (under the mat), he went out of doors.

When some distance away he was come, out of doors rushed the children after him.

And then one called aloud (to him): “Hey!” he said, “you forgot your mittens!”

“My nephews will fetch them,” he said to them.

And then they saw where they were.

“And from afar do you throw them to him.

He will not refrain from saying something to you.”

Thereupon truly from afar were the children intending to throw them to him, when, 

“Stop!” he said to them; “do not throw them into the snow, (lest they be lost,)” he said to them.

“Come, hand them to me!” he said to them.

So accordingly he truly had them handed to him, whereupon back (the children) started racing as they went.

Now, yonder parent of the children had said to them: “From afar do you hand them to him, for he willl not refrain from saying something to you.”

Therefore they truly tried to do so, but (Nenabosho) prevented them.

And this was what he said to them when he was given (the mittens): “Now, tomorrow let yor father come,” he said to them.

When the boys had raced back home, they told their parents what Nenabosho had said, “you must be hungry!” the boys said to their parents.


Thereupon said the man: “Of course, I will go,” he said.

In the mean while (Nenabosho) was arriving home.

Now, he fetched home to his children what had been given him to eat.

Then he spoke to his wife, saying: “Why do you never weave bags?” he said to his wife.

“No doubt but that again he must have seen somebody doing that,” he was told by his wife.

Go ahead and do it!” he said to her.

Thereupon truly did the woman set to work weaving a bag on the morrow.

So at home was Nenabosho, he was waiting for (his guest).

At last came his children, saying: “Oh, see! Here is a visitor!” he was told.

So thereupon in where they were came the visitor.

And then he sat down.

“What shall we feed the visitor?” he said to his wife.


“Now, what do you have?” he was told by his wife.

So he began filing his knife.

Then a smile was on the face of their visitor.

Then finally (Nenabosho) hung up the kettle.

So when he had unfastened his wife’s shoulder-straps, he uncovered his wife at the back; then he sliced her down the back with a knife.

Naturally, “Ouch!” he was told.

There was a smile on the face of his visitor.

“Pray, let me, Nenabosho!” he was told (by the visitor).

Now, therefore when (Nenabosho) was asked for the knife, this he was told: “Do, Nenabosho!” he was told.

“Please let me, Nenabosho!” he was told.

When (Nenabosho) gave him the knife, then was his wife sliced down the back, and so not a whit did she wince.


What was cut from her was her fat.

When the fat was cut from her, “Now, Nenabosho, therefore now do you cook,” he was told.

Taking up some charcoal, he rubbed (Nenabosho’s) wife with it on the back.

Then rising to his feet, “Now, Nenabosho, your children will eat,” they were told.

Thereupon truly forthwith went the visitor upon his way.


Thereupon now did they eat.